Fluorescent table lamp construction



Aug. .'25, 1942'. c. E. swANsoN FLUORESC-ET TABLE LAMP` CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 23 WOW l faz/R507? CrZ Zia/arci Juf 7L @W 'Aug.f25, l942. c. E. swANsoN '2,293,924

" l ELUORESC'ENTT'ABLE LAMP CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 8', 19,41 2 Sheetfs-Sheet 2 i d 14"' 15j Patented Aug. 25, 1942 Fwonnscsn'r TABLE mme coNsrnUcrroN Carl Edward Swanson, ChicagoJll. 'Application september s, 1941, serial No. 409,937

(c1. 24o-si) 2 Claims.

This invention is directed to a novel construction of table lamp which is so constructed as jto utilize and adapt fluorescent lighting tubes or t bulbs in such stand or table lamp structure.

More `particularly the parts of my novel lamp are so novelly made and arranged not only to permit use of a fluorescent tube of standard size and length, but also to distribute the greatly increased light resulting from the use of the liuorescent principle in increased areas surrounding the lamp in an intensity and power to produce increased light throughout the room in which my novel unit isdn use.

The use of the more satisfactory and far more economical fluorescent light has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years in industrial, store and display fields for well known reasons. The use c. fluorescent lights has to some extent extended to household kitchens and to ceiling xtures in rooms where the mounting of the necessarily long and cumbersome fixtures (of length suillcient to receive the relatively long convention tubes) has not presented an objection because of the available space at or near the ceilings. n the other hand, no one to my knowledge has made v or built a table lamp or table top unit` of a size or shape or arrangement which would not be cumbersome and so bulky as to make it denitely impossible of public acceptance. 'I'his problem,

A created by the necessity of making a relatively long unit toreceive a relatively long horizontal fluorescent tube, has not been solved, it being generally known that housewives do not consider any lighting fixtures which would take up a relatively large part of the table area because of their ,disproportionate bulk, unshapeliness and length. L

It is an important object of my invention to provide a novel lamp construction which is so made as to permit mounting in vertical position of standard sizes and Atypes of fluorescent light tubes or globes yand withoutproducing'a unit of unwieldly,.cumbersome size. l It is a further object of my invention to provide a lamp structure which is adapted for mounting standard sizes of fluorescent light globes in vertical position from pointsI within a substantially hollowl shell or base to points 'above said base so as to produce a commercially practicable and desirable unit which has .a high degree of light ei'ilciency.

It is-a further object of my invention to produce a novel lamp construction in a novel manner, uorescent light globes. positionabie verti- K able novel base and whose upper portion is. socket-mounted substantially above the center' -cured in the lower area of the shell-like base and at a point above the center portion of said base, and which also has an optional light-diffusing and light-transparent removable'and replaceable cylinder, and including means whereby such cylinder is removably mounted with respect to said base.

A further object is to provide a structure in which a fluorescent light emanates from a vertically mounted globe or tube whose lower portion is mounted within the general area of a suitof the base so as to produce the more desirable,

.non-glaring, and cooling grades of light rays from greater light bulb surfaces.

Other and further important objects of. my invention will beV apparent from the description and appended claims.

My invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, reference being made thereto in the following description.

Onl the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my lamp unit show-l ing portion of an optional shade broken away.

Fis. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view thereof showing only a fragment of an optional shade, and taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross section of a fragment of the upper portion of my unit and taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of an upper fragment of my unit and taken on line 4-4of Fig. 2. l

Fig. 5 is'an enlarged bottom view looking into the base of my unit showing a fragment of a coverhplate.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view with the bottom plate removed from the base and showing a socket mounted thereon.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross section of a fragment of a base and showing the control switch mounted therein and taken on line 1-1 My unit, aside from embodying novel structural characteristics and combinations thereof,

l -cally and which includes mounting sockets se-w solves the aforementioned problem as will be more fully'setforth.

Referring to the drawings, numeral I0 designates a base unit 'composed of plastic or other suitable material. Said base l0 may be ,of variousshapes and sizes, though preferably having its walls extending or converging inwardly to form an upper opening i I of suba hollow shell or casing and which may be of either metal,

stanti-al size and smaller than the lower. portions of the base.

The lower portion of the base is preferably made open or with a large opening, the preferred provided with two or more spaced internallyI threaded bosses I3. A metal bottom or vcover plate I4 is removably mounted as illustratedto close the lower opening of base I0, and it is held in such closed position by suitable screws which pass through studs I5 and apertures in the said bottom plate and which threadedly engage the threaded apertures in bosses I3.

Said base ID is provided at its upper portion and adjacent and below its upper annular extremity with an inwardly and horizontally extending flange element I6 which is preferably formed integral with said base. Said flange I6 is preferably provided with an integral apertured and internally threaded ear or extension I1 as shown in cross section in Fig. 2. Said flange I6 forms a substantially right-angled shoulder` with the uppermost flange-like extremity of the base I0 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

.A metal tube or conduit pipe I8, which is threaded at both ends as shown in Fig. 2, is threaded into the threadedaperture of ear I1 and locked thereon by a lock-nut I9 to thereby hold said pipe substantiallyvertically. A socket of the type adapted to receive one contact end of a fluorescent tube, is connected to the upper end of pipe I3, preferably by means of a suitable bracket 2I which bracket has one bent end apertured and threadedly engaged on the upper threaded end of pipe I8 as shown in Fig. 2. One of said sockets ,of the type utilized is shown in enlarged form in perspective in Fig. 6, the same being provided with yieldabl-e opposed metal stud contacting elements which engage the stud contact ends of a fluorescent tube. Said sockets have their said stud-contact elements provided with suitable terminal connections to which circuit wires are connected as illustrated and also provided with suitable metal bolts. In the case of the upper socket 20 one end of the socket is connected by a suitable bolt to bracket 2l as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The lower socket 22 is mounted within the lower portion of the base I0, in opposed relation to upper socket 20 and centrally with respect to the base and its upper opening. Said socket 22 may be secured by any suitable fastening ele'- ments, as for example, by a bolt 23 which passes into and thru bottom plate I4. Said socket is preferably mounted a short space above the botthrough suitably spaced is connected to the switch contact element within the body of the switch, said handle being exposed for convenient manual operation as socket 22.

scribed in the foregoing constitutes a highly sat- `of U-shaped cross section A circuit wire 33 leads from the bottom socket 22 to the control switch 2'6. A wire 34 leads between and connects the control switch 26 to the plug, as illustrated in Fig. 5. This forms a continuous circuit which is manually broken or closed thru operation of switch 2B.

A standard length straight fluorescent tube 35 having the usual'end contact studs is adapted to be removably and replaceably mounted in the opposed upper and lower-sockets 20 and 22. This tube, when the circuit is closed and connected to an electricity source, illuminates the tube to produce a highly satisfactory and economical light of density far exceeding that attainable with incandescent lights of substantially greater watt power, and the vertical positioning of the tube as described results in an even distribution of light for substantial distances from the structure. I desire to point out that what I have deisfactory lamp structure and lighting unit which because of its novel construction permits utilization of a single standard form of straight fluorescent tube, and further the said structure is a highly satisfactory lamp in itself without the optional and dispensable diffusing element or shade which I have also illustrated and which I will describe as an optional addition.

As illustrated, a channel-like ring or collar 36 is so mounted that one end of a light diffusing element 31 of any desirable shape, may be rested .or seated therein. Said ring may or may not Vbe secured to the end of said diffusing element, and in normal use it is mounted upon the annular shoulder formed Y at the upper end of base I0. I have illustrated tom plate I4 to provide a space for the passage of base I0, as'illustrated in Fig. 7, and mounted onsaid vbase by a suitable locknut 21. The knurled handle and connecting stem the optional shape of the preferably frosted glass cylinder as rounded or cylindrical. I desire it to be understood that optional light diffusing elements made of materials other than glass may be satisfactorily utilized.

Said diffusing element 31 is of a length slightly longer than the length of the usual fluorescent tube. Said diffusing element 31, illustrated in the form of a. cylinder, preferably has mounted on its upper end a flanged metal cap or cover 38 which preferably has a suitable bolt or equivalent threaded element extending upwardly therefrom.

25 to the baseI I0 and Y tion extends thru a suitably located aperture in -the wall which is Said bolt 38a has releasably mounted thereon an adjustable swivel nut or nut element 39 which is adapted to releasably retain the metal'traversing frame portion of a suitable shade 4I, said shape being partially illustrated in Figs. l and 2 in one of a number of positions to which it may be adjusted through action of said swivel nut'. I desire to emphasize that said shade, said cover "33 and said light diffusing element are unnecessary and dispenslable elements to satisfactory operation of the structure. There may be optional aforesaid ange, said cylinder encircling the verapplication of4 decorative effects upon the diffusing element in one of several conventional ways, for example by decalcomania of artistic pictures and designs.

I am aware that many changes may be made in the embodiment of theinvention herein specilically described without departing from or sacri iicing any ofthe advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall beI construed as limitations upon the invention or structural embodiment as to the said invention.-

I claim as my invention: 1. In a lamp construction for uorescent light ing, a hollow `base unit having a reduced upper opening, a bottom opening and an inwardlyextending integral flange provided with a`n apertured ear portion, a conductor wire housing pipe in connection, a control switch in said circuit mounted in said base unit, a vertically extending light diffusing cylinder mounted at its lower end in the upper part of said base andresting on the diusing member extending above the upper end tube arranged vertically with its respective ends tically extending iiuorescent tube and theconductor wire housing pipe, the upper end of the cylinder extending above the upper end of the iiuorescent tube, a cover shield on the upper end of said. cylinder, and a jointed swivel shademounting member secured to said cover shield.

2. A fluorescent lighting xture comprising a hollow base open at its top and bottom, an inwardly extending apertured element connected to the base and disposed adjacent the opening in the -top thereof, a removable cover plate for the bottom opening of the base, a conductor wire housing pipe having its lower end secured in said apertured element and extending vertically through the top opening of thc base, an angular bracket on the upper end of the pipe, an electric socket mounted on said bracket, a complementary electric socket arranged within the hollow base and connected to'said cover plate, a fluorescent removably received in the respective electric sockets, a light diifusing member enclosing both the fluorescent tube and the conductor wire housing pipe having its lower end extending into the open l v ff upper end of the base, the upper end of said light of the uorescent tube, a cover shield removablyi mounted on the upper end of the light diffusing member, and a shade supported by said cover shield.

CARL EDWARD SWANSION.l 

